are there alternatives to cpap

i have been using cpap for a few yrs. on mask 4 now. when i put it up to my nose i cant breathe that well. when i put it on my mouth. its too high. i had a deviated septum removed. do you think i have something blocking my breathing. my ent doc says everything looks fine. i tried a few things for allergies. no luck. im looking into oral appliances. i dont think it will work. we will see.
what alternatives are there i didnt mention. thanks

Hi,

It is not uncommon for patients to end up with the wrong type of machine, machines set on the wrong settings, and masks that do work out for them. It is really hard to figure any of that out without knowing a lot more details. Those details would include the makes and models, and the numbers from your sleep study and your chart. Even then, none of us here are MDs, so there are going to be things about your case that I have no clue about.

If you need CPAP, there are usually no good alternatives. Few of the surgeries allow one to get totally off of CPAP, and even then, many people end up back at the same pressure a few years later. Plus some of the surgeries are very painful. The one surgery that does have a very high success rate is the trache. But that has its own issues, so make sure you learn all there is to know about it before considering doing it. Many oral appliances are very expensive scams. If you do go that route, make sure that you are dealing with a board certified sleep doctor. Also make sure that they test the device with a sleep study. Generally, these help in only the mildest cases.

If you think you might have something blocking, then consider seeing a different ear, nose, and throat specialist to get a second opinion. It could be that pressure on your nose or face is causing your nostrils to collapse.

Another possibility is that you are somehow sensitive to how your machine works. For example, I didn't do well at all when using a CPAP machine. Even at 10, I had a real hard time breathing out, and the wind was coming so fast I couldn't catch my breath. The sleep doctor had me try a BiLevel machine, and that made all the difference for me. I run with a pressure of 20, and I don't even notice it anymore. In fact, it now feels funny to breathe without the pressure. Same thing goes for auto machines. Some people do really well with them, and others find that the auto machines wake them up when they change pressures. It all depends on the person.

-john-


-john-

neworleans44 wrote: what alternatives are there i didnt mention. thanks

A nice New Orleans funeral with all the trimmings.

I'm still holding out hope that getting my Tonsils and Adenoids out will help me. My ENT doc thinks my apnea is from my tonsils being so big.

My husband tried the mask at the sleep center and hated it. Didn't even try to go the CPAP route. He followed up with a dentist and got a mouth piece that moves his jaw forward to create more room. It seems to be working, but he says he uses it only 50% of the time. He hasn't complained about it being uncomfortable. I think it is just another thing to remember. I've noticed a complete end to his snoring when he uses it. I'm trying to convince him to go in for another study while using the mouth piece to see if it is effective as it seems it is. But so far he has resisted. Now that I'm hooked up to this forum, I'm telling him everything I've learned so he will take it seriously.
I'd say if you decide to go the dental route to follow up with a study so you know it is doing its job. And you have to promise yourself that you will use it 100% of the time. It was expensive and I don't remember insurance picking up the charge. Think it was about $1300.